I've been lurking around Tiki Central for the last year or so and I am finally ready to start on my outdoor Tiki environment and wanted to know what everyone thought of some of these prefab tiki bars.

I would prefer to build my own from raw bamboo lumber and thatch and it looks as if I would be spending about the same as some of these prefab jobs but getting more of what I want. If I could find the supplies locally, it would be a real plus rather than pay the shipping from Cali. The bar would be covered by a screened porch so direct elements are not a problem but how about indirect? Any other Floridians with experience concerning this? How about suppliers here in Florida? Really looking for durability and cosmetic appeal. Any takers?

I would suggest that you start accumulating bamboo cuttings that many leave on the roadside (Florida) and start planning it out with regards to sun exposure wind direction, etc. Bugs in the summer are a factor too. I built mine over a period of 1 year so the cost wasn't unbearable at all. Here's the thread:

On 2007-01-25 05:49, mzoltarp wrote:Target has carried tiki bars and yard products that can be a part of tikinesss. Their prices are within reason.

Yeah, I saw them last summer. They were around $300 or $400 I think. Tthey looked a little lacking as far as durabilitygoes if I remember correctly. This may just be one of those times where I have to build it to get what I want. I sure wish we had an Oceanic Arts here in Florida...............

On 2007-01-25 08:23, McTiki wrote:I would suggest that you start accumulating bamboo cuttings that many leave on the roadside (Florida) and start planning it out with regards to sun exposure wind direction, etc. Bugs in the summer are a factor too. I built mine over a period of 1 year so the cost wasn't unbearable at all. Here's the thread:

You are most welcome. I have designed a bar that will be featured in a retail environment (ours!) that cannot touch the ceiling and yet has the identical roof (indoors) however, it is only 10 foot long. It has to be anchored into the crete, but that can be remedied if you ever had to move it. I will post up some pics of this bar soon enough. Don't despair. There's plenty of creativity on these forums. You'll get what you need.

On 2007-01-24 22:59, ShawnJuanTiki wrote:Any other Floridians with experience concerning this? How about suppliers here in Florida? Really looking for durability and cosmetic appeal. Any takers?

ShawnJuanTiki, if you have the time and are up for it, I totally recommend building the bar yourself!

I am just now putting the finishing touches on my bar in Cape Coral (on TC site to research decorations etc). I have a temporary photo up here: http://www.shackinetics.com It's more of a chickee/tiki hybrid depending on who you ask, but you know - nothing in Florida is really "genuine" anyway, right?

You are dead on point in that you get exactly what you want by doing it yourself... Plus the whole experience is just great, some of the reactions I've gotten have been priceless - the most fun I've had since college no doubt.

Are you totally set on bamboo? I can't help you a whole lot with sources for that - my bar is cedar & cypress. It's largely based on designs from Tikikev.com with my own modifications for kegerator, kick rail, and gigabit networking The Cypress (poles) I picked up from a guy in Kissimmee: http://www.palmhuts.com/ They were extremely friendly and helpful and were really the only people I could find willing to sell me raw cypress. Other than that and the palm fronds (scavenged from all around Lee County) pretty much all materials came from Home Depot. There's another place I looked for lumber and thatching that's probably closer to you: acethatch.com but they're pretty pricy (more industrial, do work for disney etc) from what I remember. The suggestion above to scavenge for discarded bamboo might be a good one, unless your project is going to be large-ish - it's kind of nice to get all your materials in a more convenient way than driving around again & again... plus you never know what kind of creatures you drag home with you. For me, collecting palm thatching introduced several new species of ants, wasps, and frogs to my backyard.

Since my bar is pretty much brand new I can't give you any first-hand knowledge of how well it'll all truly hold up in our area, but from what I've been told cedar and cypress are pretty much the cream of the crop. Cedar is well-renowned for it's natural resistance and cypress to just a slightly lesser degree I believe - I figure it was/is the wood of choice for the Seminoles for a reason... In the design I used, everything from the bar-top on down is heavily varnished as well. As you should be able to see from the photo my bar/hut is situated in between our screenroom and a very dense/mature line of areca palms (and a 4ft. fence) along my side yard. My only piece of advice is make sure you're comfortable with how protected it will be inside your screenroom. Choosing an area where it's sheltered from the wind on a few sides will be a good idea, both for the bar's longevity, and your ability to sleep at night. After the finishing touches on mine, the next step is installing some brackets or eyes for strapping it down during storms.

Let me know if there's anything else I can answer for you, I'd love to help out anyone I can. If you're interested in this type of design, I can certainly tell you a few tips on what to do and not do. I had a lot of helpful/generous people help me along the way and I definitely plan on passing the "tiki cheer" along...

Note to others - I plan on getting a proper introduction of my bar put together on the forums here once I have all the finishing touches done. Right now mounting some carvings and finishing rope trim etc...

I love your Tiki Bar........and the pint of grog, of course! You did a beautiful job with that cedar. I have used cypress before in my outdoor projects. It's great for the florida weather and insects. I just may take you up on the advice if I get to a stumbling block along the way.....

I have the same link for that company in Kissimmee. Nice bars but I'd rather do the work myself, not to mention save a fortune in the process. There are other companies around the area that will build them for you but I can't seem to find any suppliers of the raw materials in the area. There has to be some, I'll just have to commit a day or two to finding them I guess.

Thanks for the input so far everyone. I'm off to do some more research in the meantime......

SJT--
_________________Helping to Bring polynesia closer to the carribean

On 2007-01-26 07:21, ShawnJuanTiki wrote:I have the same link for that company in Kissimmee. Nice bars but I'd rather do the work myself, not to mention save a fortune in the process. There are other companies around the area that will build them for you but I can't seem to find any suppliers of the raw materials in the area. There has to be some, I'll just have to commit a day or two to finding them I guess.

Cool, I just want to clarify things to make sure we're talking about the same place - AceThatch is in the Kissimmee (Clermont) area, but Big Kahuna (http://www.palmhuts.com/cypress.html) is where I got the cypress. Their site lists Scott in Titusville, but it's actually his buddy James in downtown St. Cloud that I picked the cypress poles up from. You may have better luck around Tampa, but they are the only ones I found during my search who were interested in offering raw materials in lieu of selling their construction services. They were supa cool and gave me some tips on the thatching process without me even asking.

Hope that helps...

P.S. Thx for the compliments on the handiwork - and yes, grog is good. It is also the most important material to have in surplus when constructing your tiki bar.

Yeah, Its the same place.( http://www.palmhuts.com/ ) They do excellent work there. Alot of great free pics also for some great free inspiration! Their laying my cement this week and then building the screen room early next week. Then its off to get indoor/outdoor carpeting, plants, bamboo shades, etc. I'll keep everyone posted as we move along.

Tikilale,

Another great example of the creativity here. Looks like a great place to get away and relax/entertain. Thanks for the input!

Seeing that I also love the carribean and the relaxed state of mind, this bar will most likely incorporate Polynesia and Marleyism me thinks. Seems like the two would meld very well.......

Keep the pics and advice coming everybody. I can use it...and a drink of course._________________Helping to Bring polynesia closer to the carribean

I've been reading, researching, drinking, and drinking some more, and it looks as if a decision has been made on what to do with our new patio...........

The easiest fix for the screen porch was to go the Target tiki route. They had a lot of cool prefab polynesia. We got our faux wicker furniture there and a cute little fold out bar and stools. Not the cheapest way to go, but just what my special lady wanted. We also picked up a solar tiki and some other tiki related swag. The porch is still in transition as I recently laid indoor-outdoor carpeting. I am currently in the process of building a bamboo/thatch leantu under the screened in roof. It looks like it will add a nice touch when finished.

Now I still need my own Tiki space so I've decided to scrap whats left of the old deck and convert it into.............McTikis 2?

I have been in awe of Mctiki's tiki hut since he posted the link. The design is just what the witch doctor ordered. If you don't mind Mctiki, I'd like to build the West Coast's ( of Florida that is) version of McTikis. A sister bar if you will. What do you think?

I'm working in a different space so the end product will be similar but different. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a chance and await final McTiki approval.

In the meantime it's off to Bonefish for some grub and grog. I cant wait for tomorrow.........and my tax return of course!

Nice work! I am flattered! I started in a corner (inside the property line! Including the Palapa hang-over) You are well on your way. Things like this evolve! I built a shell...watched the wind rape at it...built further. More metal! more tile, more tiki... It is what it is. You can litarly <sp?> see it one week. Come back the next, and notice something has changed... It evolves! Keep at it!

The pond/waterfall under a garabola were a necessity! Otherwise, we'd have no fish! Birds would be there every morning picking them off not withstanding the cats!

LIGHTING MUST BE CAREFULLY PLANNED!

The cable was a necessity since I ama smoker and have to see my UFC!

The leaks have resolved themselves. I have been out there with my birds many a day and we don't get wet, but, we watch the cats scurry!

In the grand scheme of things, it takes some time, so, take it! yours is looking good! I don't see a water effect yet, but, again, it takes time. I am flattered that you aspire our bar! You are most welcome to inspect it yourself! Be our guest God knows we have wine!

The water feature is in the works, however its basically an old pond that we bought from Lowes about 5 years ago. It's in need of a patch repair and a little sprucing up but will do in a pinch I think.

I start on the bamboo fence enclosure tomorrow and then the poles and spline will go in on Thursday or Friday.

I still have to design the bar, but that seems like the easy part compared to what has been accomplished already(deconstructing and rebuilding the existing deck, sanding, electrical,etc.) then whats still to come.

Beware the polyvinyl <sp?> black pre-formed pond shells. They crack after a couple of years if exposed to sunlight. They cure to the point of embrittlement and they crack.

I simply had some teenagers dig a 13 X 3 X 3 hole, laid rabbit wire into the hole, secured it with garden prongs, laid in approx 2 inches of portland cement & sand. After it cured, I coated it with H&G cement sealant with color tinted at Home Depot. Took two days total!